Dog's never cease to amaze us, they are loving, caring and love to show off their special skills and abilities. It makes start to wonder, is there anything else they can do that we may not know about?
Here is a list of some interesting facts about the dogs in our world.
1. Did you know: Dogs can smell 40x times better than humans?
Dogs have a natural ability to sniff out the world around them, like on dog walks and when we are cooking up dinner but some of you may not know that their nose is strong enough to sniff through packages. Imagine a doggy x-ray for knowing what's in your packages, wow!
They also have wet noses so they can sniff our scent chemicals.
2. Did you know: The fastest dog in the world has a recorded top speed of over 72 kilometers an hour?
Lets give it up to Greyhounds, they are known for their highly energetic nature, size and lean overall physique. Greyhounds for decades have been used for racing in sports and originally were bred to hunt down rabbits and deer.
3. Did you know: The smallest dog in the world's height is under 10cm?
The Guinness World Records have officially named a cute Chihuahua called Milly as the world's smallest dog in the world. Milly is under 10cm tall and weigh's under 0.5kgs. To date she still holds the current world record, well done Milly!
4. Did you know: The tallest dog in the world is a Great Dane?
It might not be so much of a surprise that a Great Dane takes out the win for being the world biggest dog but I bet you will be surprised on how big the largest one ever recorded was. Freddy the Great Dane still holds the Guinness World record for being the world's largest Great Dane holding the record at 7 Feet, 5.5 Inches tall. That's one tall pup!
5. Why do dogs always roll in the mud after a bath?
After a bath your pup may start to rub their coats against familiar surfaces such as sofa's, carpet and even roll around in the mud. After a bath dogs know that they smell different so they roll around in familiar areas to hide their scent from predators. This process is a survival instinct and very common on dogs as a way to camouflage themselves.
6. Why do dogs like to curl up in a ball when they sleep?
Our K-9 friends do this for two reasons, one is to conserve heat and energy and the other is to protect themselves from attack. By rolling up into a ball a dog can protect all of it's vital organs and be ready to protect themselves against any unexpected aggression. This is a natural instinct to do and also a cute way of keeping safe and sound.
7. Dogs know routines
Dogs are rather timely when it comes to regular routines, if you are feeding them at a certain time they will eventually come to expect it, the same as their walk times. If you change the time for a regular routine they will notice and act be a bit down about missing out.
7. Dogs dream like we do
Dogs experience dreams just like human do. Researchers have found that a dog's brain activity is very similar to a humans and is more active the smaller they are in size. It makes sense when we see them running around in their sleep and making those cute little sleep barks. It's nice to think about them dreaming about their favorite bone or walk.
8. Wagging Tails
Dogs can let us know how they are feeling in a variety of ways and one way is through their tails. When a dog is wagging it shows us they are excited and happy, if they bend their tails down between their legs they could be nervous and unsure. When a dog stiffens their tail and back it can be a sign of concern, close danger and preparation.
9. Dogs do not see in Black and White
While humans can see in three color ranges, red, blue and green dogs can only see in two (Blue and Yellow). Whilst they cannot see red and green that well it is still great to know they see more of the world than just black and white. Also when your thinking about buying your pup something special think about buying items that are Blue and Yellow as it will be much more visible to them.
10. Dogs have unique Nose Prints
Like a human a dog's nose has unique ridges and creases just like a human finger-print. They are so unique you can actually distinguish them one dog from another.
Thank you for taking the time to read our latest blog post. Bella and Bailey NZ are an online Pet Supplies store based in New Zealand providing a range of pet products to support in animal health and dog care. Please visit us at www.bellaandbailey.co.nz for more information.